1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a dispenser for plastic bags.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In the art directed to dispensers for plastic bags, such constructions were generally constructed of rigid box-like containers wherein the plastic bags were separably inter-connected within the box. Such dispensers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,712,684 to Boeckman, 4,805,800 to Nocek et al and 5,109,978 to Cawley. One attempt to make the plastic bags more readily removable from a box is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,276 to Herrington. In Herrington the plastic bags had to first be individually folded on parallel fold lines formed in each bag and then assembled and stacked within the box. In another rigid walled construction bag dispenser, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,423 to Ngugen, separated stacked bags were mounted on a roller bar.
Another prior art approach was where there was no container or dispenser, and instead the plastic bags were detachably attached on a header with the user having to pull and separate the bag from the header usually at a perforated line, and open the bag during or after removal. Such prior art constructions are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,221,927 to Lowry, 4,290,467 to Schmidt, 4,846,586 to Bruno, 5,255,883 to Greenfield et al, 5,309,698 to Huseman and 5,419,437 to Huseman.
It was known in the plastic bag art to provide pin holes in the bag walls to assist in separation of the bags removed from the stacks, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,235 to Pierce et al. Gussetted bags were provided with reinforcing bonds to prevent stress tears as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,812,055 to Prader.
One attempt to provide a dispenser for plastic bags is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,216,863 to Seymour-Smith. The Seymour-Smith construction required that the bags be in a flat unfolded unstacked disposition.
These prior art dispenser constructions were not suitable for readily dispensing stacked bags without damage to a thin flexible dispenser. The art desired a readily manufactured and assembled low cost flexible construction bag dispenser which could store and readily dispense a folded stack of pre-opened bags without damage to the flexible dispenser. The present invention achieves these prior art goals.